George Floyd’s death, though tragic, should not be seen as a reminder of racism or a test of democracy’s relevance but as the sorrowful loss of a troubled individual. As such, we should all mourn his passing — not because of his ethnicity but because he was a fellow human being bearing the image of God.
The tragic death of George Floyd not only caused national outrage but also sparked global turmoil. In the four years since Floyd’s death, NFL players have worn the Black Lives Matter logo on their helmets. Unprecedented levels of backlash against the police have sparked a nationwide surge in early retirements, now up by 45 percent. Corporations have dedicated millions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, while school systems have revamped curricula to endorse the pervasive narrative of racism, suggesting its prevalence in modern America rivals that of the segregated South.
When reflecting on pivotal events in American history that reshaped the discourse on “race” in our culture, key milestones come to mind: the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the landmarkBrown v. Board of Education decision. As we move into the modern era, significant developments include the Civil Rights Act of 1964, affirmative action, and the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.
Given such substantial progress, how is it possible that America seems to have regressed, making the ethnic divide today more like that of 1964 than that of 2024? One name, one event, and one tragedy brought about this unsettling reality: George Floyd.
Not since the days of Rosa Parks and the ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott have we witnessed such significant changes in business, economics, and education within a span of four years. The main distinction between the two incidents is that Rosa Parks, a devoted civil rights activist, woke up knowing she would board that bus after receiving NAACP training. In stark contrast, George Floyd’s tragedy was entirely accidental.
The death of George Floyd, though unintentional, has nonetheless become a monumental catalyst for unprecedented ethnic division. Unlike Parks, who actively pursued civil rights advancements through deliberate action, Floyd’s tragic demise has inadvertently provoked a nation, exposing deep-seated tensions, straining city resources, and influencing the cultural conscience on race in ways few events ever have.
This unplanned spark has led to heightened ethnic polarization, exacerbating division rather than fostering unity and creating a challenging landscape wherein victimhood is virtuous, and success is defined as white supremacy. The aftermath of Floyd’s death, even four years later, highlights a paradox: his unintended martyrdom has upended the country, challenging national unity and our embrace of natural diversity.
An Unlikely Hero
In his recent commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically black men’s college in Atlanta, President Joe Biden invoked the memory of George Floyd. He reminded the class of 2024 that their college journey began at the tragic end of George Floyd’s life. Rather than offering motivation and inspiration, Biden utilized George Floyd’s death as a poignant reminder of the unfulfilled promise of democracy to young black men, saying,
“You started college just as George Floyd was murdered, and there was a reckoning on race. It’s natural to wonder if the democracy you hear about actually works for you. What is democracy if black men are being killed in the street?”
The notion that black men viewed the George Floyd tragedy as a test of democracy’s relevance is profoundly patronizing. It is reminiscent of when then-candidate Joe Biden told radio host Charlamagne tha God, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
During his lifetime, George Floyd could never have imagined his name being mentioned in a college commencement speech by a President of the United States as a call for America to do more for black men. This is because George Floyd’s story is not one of a failure of democracy but rather a series of poor choices on his part. While none of these choices warranted the loss of his life, they did place him in situations where frequent encounters with the police became inevitable.
Starting in his 20s and spanning nearly a decade, George Floyd had numerous run-ins with the police. Multiple arrests for various drug-related offenses led to his serving almost three-and-a-half years in and out of jail. Then, in 2008, Floyd pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, landing him in jail for five years. Upon his release in 2013, Floyd began to search for a new start, moving from Houston, Texas, to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In Minneapolis, George Floyd sought to rebuild his life and distance himself from his troubled past. He found employment as a truck driver and later as a security guard at a local nightclub. Friends and acquaintances described him as a gentle giant who was striving to turn his life around. Others acknowledge that Floyd frequently battled the demons of his past, including drug use and criminal activity.
Floyd was not a paragon of the civil rights movement but simply trying to survive. Residing in Minneapolis, he was striving to secure work and shelter. His daily choices, at times, often placed him in harm’s way.
The Pinnacle of Racial Polarization
Before George Floyd’s death, the country seemed to be in a better place regarding racial relations. President Barack Obama’s election instilled a sense of optimism that our nation was entering a “post-racial” era. The ideals outlined in Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech appeared to have come to pass in this period when character traits rather than skin color determined one’s worth.
For many Americans, especially black Americans, Obama’s election instilled a profound sense of hope and pride. For many, it symbolized a significant milestone in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and racial equality. Many hoped his presidency would enhance race relations and address enduring racial disparities.
However, it wasn’t long before high-profile incidents involving police came to dominate the cultural narrative. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.
If Martin, Brown, Garner, and Gray were the initial sparks in a forest, the death of George Floyd was the raging wildfire that consumed the nation’s conscience for months, proving nearly impossible to extinguish.
Four years after his death, the topic of race remains central to our cultural discourse. Despite calls for more dialogue on the issue, it seems to be exacerbating tensions. Gallup polls show that 41 percent of U.S. adults say they worry “a great deal” about race relations. Another 29 percent worry “a fair amount,” while a combined 3 in 10 worry “only a little” (17 percent) or “not at all” (13 percent).
Returning to a Post-Racial America
On May 26, 2020, no one could have foreseen where the country would stand four years later. To restore sanity, we must concentrate on our similarities rather than our differences. We must reject the politics of division and understand that we are all Americans, regardless of race. The color of our skin should not determine how we view each other as human beings. Scripture is clear that from one man God created all of mankind (Acts 17:26) and that we are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
The past four years may have shaken up race relations in America, but a commitment to mutual understanding can also help to mend them. George Floyd’s death, though tragic, should not be seen as a reminder of racism but as the sorrowful loss of a troubled individual. We should all mourn his passing — not because of his ethnicity but because he was a fellow human being bearing the image of God. We all need reminders of the shared humanity that unites us and helps restore our trust. By doing this, perhaps we can return, once again, to the discussions of a post-racial America.
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